Judge Bazzoli removed from office

Elmore County Magistrate Judge Aaron Bazzoli has been removed from office by the state Magistrate Commission.

An official order of removal was filed May 5, and the commission will issue this week a notice seeking applicants to the post. The deadline for those applications is June 9, the commission will meet in August to selected a new magistrate and anticipates have a new judge on the bench by September.

In the meantime, other magistrates from both inside and outside the district, including retired judges, will pick up Bazzoli's caseload.

Bazzoli had been the Elmore County prosecuting attorney until July of last year when he was appointed to the bench to replace John Sellman, who retired after a quarter century of service.

No reason was released for Bazzoli's removal, but court rules state that, following a complaint and an initial inquiry a hearing is held to determine if "a judge is guilty of willful misconduct in office, willful and persistent failure to perform the duties of a judge, habitual intemperance, or of conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice that brings the judicial office into disrepute, or a violation of the Code of Judicial Conduct, or that the judge has a disability that seriously interferes with the performance of the judge's duties which is or is likely to become of a permanent character."

If any one of those items are determined to be true, the commission can recommend remedial action or it can simply remove the judge. It's not known if any remedial action had been proposed prior to the commission taking action to remove Bazzoli.

Bazzoli can appeal the decision to the state supreme court. It's not known if Bazzoli has made any appeal but the Magistrate Commission is proceeding as if the position will clearly be open and requiring a replacement.